A total of 1,006 people were travelling in the relief train to reach their destinations after the North East Express derailed in Bihar’s Buxar district, a senior railway official said here on Thursday.
Around 1,500 passengers were in the North East Express when it started its 33-hour-long journey from Delhi’s Anand Vihar station for Khamakhya in Assam’s Guwahati on Wednesday morning, he said.
After the accident on Wednesday night, a total of 1,006 passengers boarded a relief train at Danapur to reach their destinations in Bihar, West Bengal and Assam, he added.
“Around 1,500 passengers boarded the train when it started in Delhi at 7.40 am yesterday. The number is a little high because those having partial tickets or were in the wait list also boarded,” Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) Chief Public Relations Officer Sabyasachi De told PTI.
Out of the total passengers, around 1,200 had tickets for de-boarding at 12 stations in the NFR’s jurisdiction, from Katihar onwards, he said.
“There were 540 ticketed passengers for de-boarding at the five stations in Assam, including 389 at the final destination in Kamakhya,” he said.
At least four passengers died and several people were injured when 23 coaches of the train derailed near Raghunathpur station around 9.53 pm on Wednesday, according to the railways.
“As per our information, no passengers coming to Assam are in the list of casualties,” De said.
Asked about the onward journey of the travellers who were unhurt, he said “The relief train started at 5 am and is scheduled to reach Kamakhya at 11 pm. A total of 1,006 passengers are coming and they will get down at different stations on the route.”
The CPRO said that the relief train will stop only at the scheduled stoppages of the beleaguered North East Express.
“Around 500 passengers will get down at the five stations in Assam,” he said.
“The passengers will be provided meals and refreshments during the journey. The railways will also arrange for their travel by road from the Kamakhya station,” the officer said.
De also said that no train from Assam is cancelled as of now due to the accident.
He said that the NFR has started helplines in different stations — Guwahati (03612731621/22/23), Kamakhya (03612674857), Katihar (9608815880), and New Jalpaiguri (8170034242).
The Kamrup Metropolitan district administration, which administers Guwahati, has also set up an emergency helpline (9365429314), and asked people to contact for assistance. PTI
